Maniple

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Form, material, and use

The maniple is an ornamentalvestment in the form of a band, a little over a yard long and from somewhat over two to almost four inches wide, which is placed on the left arm in such manner that it falls in equal length on both sides of the arm. It is worn only during Mass, not at the administration of thesacraments, during processions, nor at Benediction, etc.

In order to fasten the maniple on the arm either two strings are placed on the inner side near the middle, or else an elastic band is used, or a loop is formed in the maniple itself by sewing together the two halves which have been laid over each other, at a distance of about six inches from the middle. Another device for securing the maniple is to set a small band a little to one side of the middle and to secure this band with a pin to thealb.

The maniple is made of silk or half-silk material. The colour is in accordance with theliturgical rules. The ends of the maniple are often broader than the upper part, but too great a breadth at the ends, as in the so-called pocket or spade-shaped maniple, is ugly. In the middle and at each end the maniple is ornamented with a small cross; of these crosses that in the middle is alwaysnecessary as it is prescribed by therubrics of theMissal. The maniple is worn by thesubdeacon,deacon,priest, andbishop, but not by those who have only receivedminor orders. For thesubdeacon the maniple is theliturgical sign of his rank, and atordination is placed on his left arm by thebishop himself. Abishop puts on the maniple at the altar after theConfiteor, otherecclesiastics put it on in thesacristy before the service.

Name and origin

In earlier ages the maniple was called by various names:mappula, sudarium, mantile, fano, manuale, sestace, andmanipulus, appellations which indicate to some extent its original purpose. Originally it was a cloth of fine quality to wipe away perspiration, or an ornamental handkerchief which was seldom put into actual use, but was generally carried in the hand as an ornament. Ornamental handkerchiefs or cloths of this kind were carried by people of rank in ordinary life. Ancient remains show manyproofs of this: for instance, themappa with which the consul or praetor gave the signal for the commencement of the games was a similar cloth. The namemanipulus was given because it was folded together and carried in the left hand like a small bundle (manipulus).

Antiquity

Withoutdoubt the maniple was first used atRome. At least it was worn atRome early in the sixth century even though not by all thoseecclesiastics who later used it. Thepallialinostima spoken of in the lives of Popes Sylvester and Zosimus, which appeared at thisdate in the"Liber Pontificalis", can be explained with most probability as references to the ornamental vestment called latermappula andmanipulus. About the close of the sixth century under the name ofmappula it was also worn by thepriests anddeacons ofRavenna. (cf. the letters which passed betweenGregory the Great and Archbishop John ofRavenna). By the beginning of the ninth century the use of the maniple was almost universal in WesternEurope, being customary even atMilan which had otherwise its own peculiar rite. This is shown by the relief work on the celebratedpallioto (antependium) in the Basilica of St. Ambrose atMilan, a fine piece of goldsmith's work of the middle of the ninth century. The use of the maniple inGaul andGermany isproved by the statements ofAmalar of Metz,Rabanus Maurus, Walafried Strabo, By the "Admonitio synodalis" and by other writings, as well as by various miniaturepaintings. That it was also worn inEngland is evident from the elaborately worked maniple now in the Museum ofDurhamcathedral which, according to the inscriptionembroidered on it, was made by order of Queen Aethelflaed (d. before 916), wife of Edward the Elder for Bishop Frithestan ofWinchester. AtRome in the ninth century even theacolytes wore the maniple. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the singular custom prevailed at Cluny and othermonasteries that on the chief feast days all, even the Lay brothers, appeared at Mass inalb and maniple; this practice, however, was forbidden in 1100 by the Synod ofPoitiers. When in the eleventh and twelfth centuries thesubdiaconate developed into a higher order, the maniple became its distinctive vestment.

Nature and mode of wearing

The maniple was originally a folded piece of cloth. It cannot be positively decided when it became a plain band. Probably the change did not occur everywhere at the same time. Maniples made of a fold of material existed at least as early as the beginning of the tenth century; this isproved by the maniple atDurham made for Bishop Frithestan. About the end of the first millennium it was hardly more than an ornamental band. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries these bands were, as a rule, very long and narrow and had laid on at the ends for ornament squares or rectangular pieces of material; after a while, however, this form of maniple went out of use. In the sixteenth century it began to be customary to broaden the ends, giving them something of the form of a spade, until in the eighteenth century the shape of the ends became completely that of a spade or pocket. For the period up to the twelfth century almost nothing is known as to the material of which the maniple was made. In the laterMiddle Ages it was generally of silk. As early as the tenth century much importance was attached to its ornamentation. The inventories of this time repeatedly mention costly maniples adorned with gold or silver. In the succeeding centuries even more importance was attached to the rich ornamentation of the maniple. It was enriched, so the inventories inform us, withembroidery, small ornaments of precious metals, precious stones, and pearls. Maniples of this period with costlyembroidery are to be found in thecathedral ofSens, in theconvent of the Sisters of Notre-Dame atNamur, atPontigny, in thecathedral ofBayeux, in the Museum of Industrial Art atBerlin, etc. A favourite way to finish the ends was with fringe, tassels, or little bells. The maniple had generally no crosses at the ends or in the middle. Originally it was held in the left hand; from the eleventh century, however, it became customary to carry it on the lower part of the left arm and the usage has remained the same up to the present day. Even inmedieval times it was seldom worn except at Mass. Theceremony of giving the maniple to thesubdeacon atordination developed in the tenth to the eleventh century, but it was not until the thirteenth century that the custom became universal.

Symbolism

In theMiddle Ages the maniple received various symbolical interpretations. At a later period it was common to connect this vestment with the bonds which held the hands of theSaviour. In theprayer offered by thepriest when putting on the maniple are symbolized the cares and sorrows of this earthly life which should be borne with patience in view of the heavenly reward.

Epigonation

In theGreek Rite the vestment that corresponds to the maniple is theepigonation. It is a square piece of material oftenembroidered with a sword and intended as an ornament; it is hung at the right side on thecincture and falls to the knee. The epigonation does not belong to all theclergy but only to thebishop. Originally also an ornamental handkerchief and called at thatdateencheirion it received its present form in the twelfth century.

Subcinctorium

Very similar to the maniple in form and nature is the subcinctorium, an ornamental vestment reserved to thepope. It is worn on thecincture; on one end isembroidered a small Agnus Dei and on the other a cross. Thepope wears it only at a solemnpontifical Mass. The subcinctorium is mentioned under the name ofbalteus as early as the end of the tenth century in a "Sacramentarium" of this date preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale atParis (f. lat. 12052). It is mentioned under the nameproecinctorium about 1030 in what is known as the "Missa Illyrica". Later it was generally called subcinctorium. In theMiddle Ages it was worn not only by thepope but also bybishops, and even in a few places bypriests. However, it gradually ceased to be a customary vestment ofbishops andpriests, and in the sixteenth century only thepopes and thebishops of theecclesiastical province ofMilan wore it. The original object of the subcinctorium was, asSt. Thomas explicitly says, to secure thestole to thecincture. But as early as about the close of the thirteenth century, it was merely an ornamental vestment. According to the inventories, even in the eleventh century much thought was given to its ornamentation. Most probably the subcinctorium was first used inFrance, whence the custom may possibly have spread toItaly about the close of the first millennium.

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